Beowulf

Possibly means "bee wolf" (in effect equal to "bear") from Old English beo "bee" and wulf "wolf" [1] [2] . Alternatively, the first element may be beadu "battle". This is the name of the main character in the anonymous 8th-century epic poem Beowulf. Set in Denmark, the poem tells how he slays the monster Grendel and its mother at the request of King Hroðgar. After this Beowulf becomes the king of the Geats. The conclusion of the poem tells how Beowulf, in his old age, slays a dragon but is himself mortally wounded in the act.

classic mature formal upper class natural strong rough strange complex serious

1. Bosworth and Toller. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898), page 84, available from http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/texts/oe_bosworthtoller_about.html.
2. Bosworth and Toller. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898), page 1280, available from http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/texts/oe_bosworthtoller_about.html.

animals bands bears bees bugs canines dragons film titles folk heroes heroes insects isograms kings literary heroes literature movies nature uncertain etymology war warriors wolf